Windy was exhausted as she slowly flapped towards the small, dusty town of Appleloosa. The town itself was quite small, with not a lot of ponies mainly working on various constructions.
Dr. Whooves was rather amazed to see the beginnings of this town emerging from nothing, and how hard these earth ponies worked and came together was nothing short of astonishing.
The two wondered about, trying to figure out where to go, seeing as the map hadn’t specified where the doctor needed to go to help. As they wandered about the town, they spotted a yellow-coated mare with a flaming red mane come over with a smile, pushing a foal carriage as she waved a hoof. “Hello, welcome to Appleloosa!”
Then, a cute baby colt popped out of the carriage, throwing his hooves in the air as he babbled at them. But Dr. Whooves heard. “Wewcome to Abbwewwoosa!”
The mare dawwed, then bent down and nuzzled her colt. “You’re supposed to be napping, Braeburn.”’
“Oh, he’s adorable!” Windy cooed. “What's his name, again?”
“He’s my little Braeburn,” The earth pony mare replied. “Hard to believe it’s been almost half a year since I gave birth to him.”
“Braeburn, such a lovely name,” Windy ruffled the colt’s mane, making the foal kick and giggle then chirped. “This little colt here is Doctor Whooves.”
The earth pony mare suddenly placed a hoof over her mouth and then let out a burst of laughter. “Doctor? Is the D in his Ph.D. in diaperology?”
The doctor squeaked upon hearing this, seeing how ridiculous his name would sound now that he was a foal.
Windy burst out laughing and quickly corrected. “Good point. Sorry, that’s just a nickname his mom gave him: His real name is Time Turner.”
“I see,” The earth pony mare replied. “Well, he is quite adorable. Are you his aunt?”
Windy shook her head. “No, just his foalsitter for right now. I uh..came here to visit Appleloosa. I heard so much about it, I just had to see it for myself.”
“Well that's great to hear,” The earth pony mare nodded back. “We’re still tryin’ to build our little town here. But my home is always open to visitors. Would you like to see it?”
“That sounds wonderful!” Windy chirped. She then followed the mare to her home as she asked. “Forgive my manners, but what’s your name, miss?”
“Pardon my manners: My name is Apple Tart.” The earth pony mare chirped as she held out a hoof.
The pegasus mare then took the hoof and shook it rather energetically. And as they shook, Windy said. “Apple Tart, what a lovely name. I’m Windy Whistles.”
“Well, Windy Whistles,” Apple Tart replied. “It’s gettin’ late, why don’t we get a move on?!”
The pegasus was rather surprised by this as she flew over and asked. “What do you mean? Where are we going?”
“My home, of course!” Apple Tart eagerly explained with a grin. “You probably don’t have anywhere else to go, right? Especially not with the little one. It’s not like we have a daycare center out here.”
“Oh, of course. Thank you for your hospitality!” Windy flew by Apple Tart as they continued through town to Apple Tart’s house. It was a quaint little cabin on the outskirts of the town. Inside was a little playpen full of wooden blocks, some stuffed animals, and some puzzle blocks. The two colts were then plopped together and started to play.
Then, as the mares were settling in, Braeburn’s father, a rodeo star, trotted into the home smiling, “Oh hello, I didn’t expect to see a pegasus out here.”
“Sorry for the intrusion,” Windy spoke up with a bit of a blush. “I came to visit your town and wasn’t aware it was still under construction.”
“Oh, it’s no problem, sweet pea,” The stallion sweetly replied. “We don’t really get many visitors out here, so we’re always happy to see a new face. I just got back from helpin’ build the rodeo corral. With a little luck, we’ll soon be part of the Equestria Rodeo Circuit,” He then turned to see the two colts in the playpen, the two already working on building a tower together. He dawwed, “Aww, I see little Braeburn has a friend his own age,” He turned to Windy and then asked. “What’s the little colt’s name? Is he yours.”
Windy smiled. “His name is Time Turner, and he isn't mine. I’m just caring for him for a friend for a while. He’s very well behaved, and pretty smart for his age. I wouldn’t be surprised if he graduates from diapers before he turns two.”
“I see,” The stallion replied while adjusting his hat. “Well, if your friend is plannin’ to move here, we could use the company. Celestia knows Braeburn will need friends his age, there aren’t a lot of foals around here, so we usually try to set up playdates with his cousins Applejack and Little Mac in Ponyville. But as you can imagine, it's quite difficult seein’ how far away they live.”
Windy blushed. “Yes, well, I’ll let Time Turner’s mother know about this place and see if she’ll visit from time to time. I don’t want your little one to be lonely. I’m always trying to make sure my foal has lots of playmates her own age. Foals always turn out better when they have friends while still in diapers.”
“I see,” The stallion commented. “Is that what brought you out here, miss?”
“Yes, mainly because she’s so busy in Ponyville, and the train station is still being built, so the only real way to get here was by flying,” Windy explained. “So I came here to scout out the place for her since she’s thinking of moving here.”
“How nice of you!” The stallion sweetly smiled. “Well, you can stay here as long as you want,” He lifted a mug and offered. “Ya want some apple cider?! Made it fresh from the apples in our orchard.”
“Oh that sounds great.” The pegasus mare replied as she licked her lips. She was just as much into cider as Rainbow Dash would be many years later. The grown-ups then began to drink the night away, talking to each other about raising foals.
As the adults went on talking, Dr. Whooves was helping Braeburn build towers of blocks for him to knock down. As they played, the little colt took the opportunity to ask Braeburn some questions. “So uh, Bwaebuwn?”
“Yeah, what is it, Timey?” The little colt questioned.
“My name is Docta Whooves actuawwy.” Dr. Whooves pouted, folding his hooves across his chest.
“Yeah, but my mama called ya a docta of diapees!” Braeburn giggled.
The colt squeaked, remembering what Apple Tart had said, and replied. “Nah uh, not a docta of diapees!”
The orange coated earth pony colt just giggled further and waddled over, then he poked the rather soggy diaper and said. “See? Ya using tem, ya gets an A+!”
“Stop!” The brown-coated colt whined and waddled away as best he could.
“Braeburn, play nice!” His mom scolded from afar.
“Sowie!” Braeburn whimpered, then waddled towards the brown coated colt and apologized. “Sowie, didn’t mean to make ya mad, just pwaying a joke.”
The other colt nodded, then confessed. “Wight. I uh actuawwy used to be a big pony wike ya mommy and daddy, so I not weawwy comfy with being a foaw.”
Braeburn eyed Dr. Whooves. “Huh, ya was a big pony? Ya do big pony things and not weaw diapees?”
“Yeah huh.” Dr. Whooves boasted as he puffed out his chest.
“And how did ya end up tuwning into a baby again?” Braeburn questioned.
The little colt blushed, seeing that there was a lot to explain on how he became a foal and didn’t feel like giving his new friend a long-winded explanation. So he simply said “It's a wong stowie, but wook I not hewe to visit. I came to hewp some ponies.”
Braeburn blinked in surprise. “Hewp ponies?”
“Yeah,” Dr. Whooves slowly nodded. “Ya see, thewe’s ponies hewe making a big bawwoon but tey mess up, and it bwows up wike tis!” He knocked over a tower of blocks, scattering them all across the playpen!
Braeburn still looked rather confused but seemed to grasp what the little doctor was trying to convey. “I see. And ya know how to stop tat?”
Dr. Whooves chirped. “Yeah! So can ya hewp me find ta ponies making ta bawwoon?! I gots to stop tem!”
The other earth pony colt gave a nod as he topped a hoof to his chin. “Thewe’s a mommy and a daddy with two cowts making some giant bawwoon tat ya is tawkin bout. We can go to tem.”
“Weally, can ya take us to tem?!” Dr. Whooves looked up in excitement!
“Yeah! But gotta teww my mommy fiwst.” Braeburn insisted.
Dr. Whooves blushed to see that explaining all of this to Braeburn’s mom would take a lot of convincing, and he didn’t want this young colt to be involved. “Dun wowwy ‘bout tat, just teww me whewe tey awe and I’ww find tem.”
‘“Fine, but I stiww wanna hewp ya.” Braeburn protested with a pout.
Dr. Whooves’ cheeks flushed pink. He was already causing a lot of timeline disruptions as it was, he didn’t want to add even more if he could help it. “Sowwie, but I tink it might be bettew if ya dun come.”
Braeburn shook his head, he would hear nothing of such an argument. “I wana hewp! Tis is my town, and I wanna do whateva it takes to hewp Abbwewoosa!”
Dr. Whooves could see his fellow earth pony colt wasn’t going to back down and seemed intent to help, so he reluctantly whispered. “Fine, but we can’t teww ya mommy. She not gonna wet us go if she knew what we wewe up to.”
“Wight, we gotta be wike supewhewoes, wight!?” Braeburn eagerly asked, bouncing up and down on his padding.
“Wight,” Dr. Whooves nodded and whispered. “We’ww wait untiw ta big ponies faww asweep, ten we go find ta big bawwoon. Okay?”
Braeburn nodded back. “Okay.”
Later that evening after the adults had gone off to bed, Dr. Whooves was hard at work inside Braeburn’s nursery. He was making a makeshift rope out of baby blankets that were all tied together. Once he’d finished, the little colt hopped out of his crib and landed his padded flank onto the plush ground below.
Braeburn looked over with wide-eyed wonder. “Wow! Tat’s so coow!”
“Yeah, took a minute to membew my knots, but it wowks,” Dr. Whooves confessed. “If onwy I was as good at membewing how to go potty wike a gwown-up, ow at weast how to change my own diapee. But my mommy says is bettew I dun know how, tat way ponies dun suspect anyting about me.”
The two colts then waddled across the nursery to the window and peered down. It was a two-story drop. Braeburn nervously whispered as he looked down at the ground. “Ya suwe tis can wowk?”
“I'm sure it wiww!” Dr. Whooves hooked his rope to the side of Bareburn’s crib and then lowered it out the window. The two adventurous little colts then slid down the rope and onto the dirt below. The little doctor then whispered. “Otay, ya know where ta pwace with the bawwoon is, wight?”
The colt then scoffed. “I know tis town wike ta back of my hoof. Come on!”
Braeburn then led his friend along as they waddled towards a massive building: Inside was a truly enormous, bright red colored hot air balloon. It was currently tied with ropes to the ground as two earth ponies: One a tall, nerdy, looking stallion with a set of curly hair, and a mare with thick glasses and mane tied in a bun both appeared to be exhausted. They were going over it and making calculations, mumbling to themselves.
Dr. Whooves turned back towards Bareburn then whispered. “Otay, hewe’s ta pwan. Ya need to make a distwaction so I can swip by tem without being seen.”
“Otay, ten what?” Braeburn asked his companion.
“Well, I gonna do some cowwections on theiw bwuepwints,” Dr. Whooves explained. “Tat way the bawwoon won’t bwow up!”
But Braeburn gulped, looking at the ground. “Um…”
“What?”’ Dr. Whooves hesitantly asked.
Braeburn nervously whispered. “Weww, I made some cowwections to daddy’s wodeo pwans once. But he got mad ‘cause I made squibbwes with cwayons.”
Dr Whooves slammed a hoof into his face and explained. “I not just gonna doodwe on it, I gonna fix tem. Ya see.”
“Ya suwe ya dun want to cowow on tem instead?” Braeburn asked.
“No, I dun just want to cowow on tem, I wan to fix tem!” Dr. Whooves irritably grumbled, and then instructed. “Now ya just go make a distraction wike… wike…” He then pointed to some canisters as an idea came to him. “Buck tose ovew! That’ww distwact tem.”
“Otay, tat’s easy!” Braeburn chuckled to himself. The colt waddled over with a smug look on his face, checking to make sure no one could see him. He then smacked his back hooves into the canisters and caused a racket as they shook, then fell down.
One of the scientists heard what had happened and ran over. Upon seeing Braeburn he shouted. “Hey, what’s going on?!”
“It's a baby colt! Get him!” The other scientist hollered. The two then began to chase Braeburn all about their facility.
Dr. Whooves took advantage of the opportunity to waddle to the work tables. He climbed up, and went about fixing their calculations, writing specifically in large letters: Use helium, not hydrogen! He tried his best to make his hoofwriting legible despite his small stature. After that, he quickly jumped off, hit a canister, and smacked it. The canister flew up into the air as the adults turned towards Dr. Whooves, now chasing him instead. He then led them away, sliding underneath a hole in the hanger. He then met up with Braeburn who gasped. “Ya did it, wight? The bawwoon’s not gonna bwow up now, wight?”
“Yeah,” Dr. Whooves nodded, brimming with confidence. “Wets go home befowe the othew gwown-ups find out we gone..”
The two then waddled across the dirt road to Apple Tart’s home and climbed up the rope made of baby blankets (Dr. Whooves pulling the rope up into the nursery behind him, putting it away). The two colts then plopped into the crib together and giggled as Windy happened to come by to check on them. “What's all this giggling for, you two?”
When the colts didn’t answer, Windy just went through the motions of checking (and changing) their diapers, then plopped two bottles of milk into their mouths as she tucked them into bed with pacifiers in their mouths.
The two little colts were feeling relaxed as they settled into their bundle of foal blankets. The little doctor suckled gently on a pacifier and felt so relaxed. Despite being a baby genius, he was still, at the moment, a foal.
The next morning, Windy spent a whole day exploring the small town of Appleloosa: Going to the salt lick, watching some rodeo practice, and even enjoying a hoe down.
That evening, as Windy was setting off to leave, Dr. Whooves was in the playpen, hugging Braeburn, who whimpered and cried, “Dun go! I gonna miss ya!”
Dr. Whooves let out a sigh. It was always hard to leave a companion behind. “Wisten, Bawebuwn, I gotta go, and ya might not see me again fow a vewy wong time. But I pwomice we gonna be fwiends. Ya was a hewo and hewped save awot of ponies.”
“Tanks. Pwease visit Abbwewoosa again, and… um…” Brarburn then gave Dr. Whooves his teething ring. “Keep tis, otay? So ya dun fowget me.”
“I won’t.” Dr. Whooves promised.
The two colts hugged again, and then Windy started her flight back to Ponyville.